2016 smart dimension settings

Seeing several improvements in 2016, but one thing is really bugging me and my partners at work.

The default behavior of the smart dimension tool in 2016 is rather different from the default settings in 2015,14, etc.

e.g. in 2016.. if a line or arc is selected in a sketch and i hit the smart dimension, the tool automatically tries to dimension the pre-selected object.

In 2015 this behavior was not present by default. Regardless of the pre-selected item, the 2015 smart dimension tool would not try to automatically create a dimension for that item. Once activated the smart dimension tool would wait for my input for which items to dimension, regardless of any items selected at the time the tool was activated.

The issue is that we often have items pre-selected that we do not wish to dimension.. We may have simply finished a task on the pre-selected item and wish to dimension something else in the sketch. The 2016 default behavior often forces me to have to escape out, deselect any selected items, then reactivate the smart dimension tool to dimension the object I actually intended to select.

I am certain there is some check box to disable this 'automatically dimension pre-selected objects' feature of the smart dimension tool. I just want to go back to the 2015 method of dimensioning, which, for me, entailed far fewer escape presses and mouse clicks than under the 2016 default regime.

Unfortunately we do not have any option to disable automatic attachment of dimension on preselected sketch entities.

In SOLIDWORKS 2016 we introduced the new behavior to respect pre-selection of sketch entities which are selected for dimensioning. In SOLIDWORKS 2015 we dismiss these pre-selections and user had to reselect them after activating smart dimension command, however it’s a good suggestion to control this behavior through an option which will let user choose his/her preferences based on their modeling practices.

In this case, the workflow of adding sketch relation between two line by preselecting two sketch entities and the workflow for creating a dimension by preselecting two sketch entities is common which is creating this problem.

I noticed ER reported by Alin, which we are processing and will keep monitoring how many hits we get for this request to make further decision of incorporating this option.

So, I am having to escape out, de-select, re-select, reactivate, rinse and repeat. I want the tool to do what I want, no what it wants. Even if I do what Javelin says, its still 2-3 extra clicks to deselect the two parallel lines and re-select the one i want (or control click, or whatever is the users' preferred method).

Still waiting for a definitive answer on this one, but looking like its going to be bad news all around. *shrug*

Unfortunately we do not have any option to disable automatic attachment of dimension on preselected sketch entities.

In SOLIDWORKS 2016 we introduced the new behavior to respect pre-selection of sketch entities which are selected for dimensioning. In SOLIDWORKS 2015 we dismiss these pre-selections and user had to reselect them after activating smart dimension command, however it’s a good suggestion to control this behavior through an option which will let user choose his/her preferences based on their modeling practices.

In this case, the workflow of adding sketch relation between two line by preselecting two sketch entities and the workflow for creating a dimension by preselecting two sketch entities is common which is creating this problem.

I noticed ER reported by Alin, which we are processing and will keep monitoring how many hits we get for this request to make further decision of incorporating this option.

The ER number is 1-9721846623,and the SPR (Software Performance Request) reported for this ER is 927745.You can track this SPR number for further updates on development status in your customer portal - Knowledge base section.

Greg, you may misunderstand the issue at hand in this discussion as this issue doesn't have anything to do with the instant 2d features. Please re-read the first OP and replies fromRavi Shrivastava. The issue at hand is detailed in SPR#927745, and there is no way to turn it off.

Andrew, Please search the knowledge base, and vote for SPR#927745, and ask your 50 other users to do so as well. We wont get a fix implemented if there aren't enough votes on SPR#927745.

One of them pointed out that the real change was that when sketching lines Etc. When you hit escape to stop sketching it leaves the last thing highlighted until you hit escape again. He says he didn't notice a change because he usually hit escape multiple times anyway.

A simple solution may be to make a macro that actuates the escape key twice each time you hit it.

I recently made the switch from 2014 to 2017. The inescapable inclusion of pre-selected sketch entities in smart dimensions is a smelly tumor in my workflow. I am afraid I missed the boat to give meaningful feedback since this "feature" (read: grain of sand under the eyelid) was introduced a whole version ago, but it is so frustrating and so pervasive that I am compelled to speak out.

My workaround is to continue to be moderately inconvenienced and very frustrated about this minor issue, and to periodically search the internet for a fix or registry hack, only to end up back at this thread.

Thank you for what looks like a promising solution! Unfortunately I do not know what to do with this code. I do not want to hijack the thread with questions whose answers might be obvious to more technical Solidworks users, but would you please give me a hint about where to start with the code? I am happy to search the forum for specific information but I don't know what I am looking for.

I found SPR 927745 in the Knowledge Base, but how do you vote for it? This so called "enhancement" of pre-selection for dimensioning that cannot be turned off needs to go before the escape key on my keyboard wears out. It's very annoying and disruptive to the work flow. Actually, no such enhancements that cannot be dismissed should be implemented.

-Select both lines and create a parallel relation. (Both lines remain selected after creating this relation.)

-Activate smart dimension tool, with the intention of dimensioning the length of ONE line.

(However, 2016 automatically attempts to create a distance dimension between the two pre-selected parallel lines)

-Hit escape twice to cancel the Smart Dimension tool, as well as deselect the 2 parallel lines.

-Activate smart dimension tool again, and select the line I wish to dimension.

If a sketch entity is pre-selected then the smart dimension tool is activated, SW automatically tries to attach dimensions to the pre-selected entity, forcing me to hit escape. The issue and workflow I outlined in my initial post is unchanged in 2017.

Unless there is some toggle or switch to disable this behavior, its unchanged from 2016 to 2017.

If anyone knows how to turn this nonsense off, please post here.. It would be much appreciated as my escape key is worn out and I am in need of a new keyboard!

Yes it is still there for me and menace is a good way to describe it. If I draw 2 circles, select both, use my keyboard shortcut for equals then hit dimension it gives me the distance between the two. The chances that I wanted it to do that are roughly zero. However repeat the same process with many circles instead of two and it functions properly. Hitting dimension in that case allows me to set the diameter of the circles without beating up on my poor escape key.

That is exactly where I got that from, AutoCAD. They did tell us to not lose the habit because it would be required(not as often) in SolidWorks too. Besides, having to press escape shouldn't be a burden, it should be seen as a break point between 2 distinct commands, or at least that's how I was tought. Glad to see though that there was an easy fix that they could do as mentionned above because to me, that sounded like perfect executionning of the command.

If Acad requires you to hit escape a million times a day, I'm glad I'm not using that software.

Wasted keystrokes are wasteful.

My beef, concerning this SW bug, has always been with the implementation of a non-configurable "feature", that added numerous steps to long established user workflows, wasting time & money, & infuriating paying customers.

Very glad to see others have had the same complaints and that a solution will be implemented in SW2018.

If Acad requires you to hit escape a million times a day, I'm glad I'm not using that software.

Wasted keystrokes are wasteful.

My beef, concerning this SW bug, has always been with the implementation of a non-configurable "feature", that added numerous steps to long established user workflows, wasting time & money, & infuriating paying customers.

Very glad to see others have had the same complaints and that a solution will be implemented in SW2018.

My thoughts exactly.

"Enhancements" should not require more steps to complete the same old task. Or at the very least they should be easily disabled by the user if they do.

My beef, concerning this SW bug, has always been with the implementation of a non-configurable "feature", that added numerous steps to long established user workflows, wasting time & money, & infuriating paying customers.

To be fair, while I know the dimension tool with pre-selected entities may be an exception, in recent years the folks at SW have gotten much better about giving us a way to turn off new enhancements.

It doesn't require you to hit the escape key a million times a day, it generally does it's own breaks in between commands, but there are commands that are meant to carry on to other commands because certain people use it in that particular manner. It's a tip given to people to use it in order to break their commands in between.

We all have different methods of working and sometimes, the way the command is set-up might seem impractical to you, but it might be practical to most of the users, that was my original point.

I appreciate the input & I'm sure Acad is great, but the way in which other softwares behave is not really the topic of this thread.

The issue at hand, SPR 927745, was resolved and will be implemented in 2018. That proves that it was not only myself who found this "enhancement" impractical. A great number of other users were affected, as the replies in this thread, and the resolution of SPR 927745 clearly indicate.

Seems like I cant state this clearly enough...

I'm not opposed to hitting escape once in a while.. that is compulsory & unavoidable.

The issue has always been mucking with & adding steps to long established workflows -- its bad practice, period.